The Rugby Football Union is in line for a record pay day when England face New Zealand on Saturday as part of a financial upturn that will lead to the governing body being completely debt free when it hosts the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

Demand for entry to the All Blacks game is said to “have gone to a new level”, with a pair of tickets on website exchanges selling for almost £1,000.

The RFU’s decision, in conjunction with England head coach Stuart Lancaster, for his team to wear the home white kit for all three matches in this QBE International series has also paid off, with sales of the new replica shirts at record levels, having soared by 10 per cent from last year.

Even taking into account the lack of a fourth Test match this autumn and just two home games in the RBS Six Nations this season, the RFU is expecting a “very strong” revenue-generating year to back up what are expected to be record returns when the accounts for last year are announced this week.

Sophie Goldschmidt, the RFU chief commercial officer, told The Telegraph that the buoyant financial position would allow the governing body to continue its investment in grassroots rugby to ensure it has the capacity to cope with the expected “surge in interest” that will be generated by hosting the 2015 World Cup.

“Whenever the All Blacks come to town it is always a game that everyone gets excited about and especially off the back of the result last year and England going into it with two victories, anticipation is at an all-time high,” Goldschmidt said.

“Given the aura around the All Blacks, how they have developed their brand and their recent success – they have hardly lost over the last couple of years and clearly being the No1 team in the world – demand for tickets is very strong.

“Australia the weekend before last was sold out and did very well but I think with the All Blacks there is something extra, extra special. This is definitely going to be a special weekend, hopefully performance-wise we have a great effort and I think off the field it will be a big one for us.”

The continued financial upturn comes after the RFU posted a loss of £6.3million for the 2011-12 year because of the costs of the World Cup in New Zealand and loss of autumn internationals that season.

Despite being in the middle of a £76million upgrade of Twickenham and a £26million investment in the community game to ensure the governing body maximises the advantage of hosting the 2015 World Cup, the strong financial returns should ensure the RFU is debt-free within 14 months. After the £56million loan for the south stand development was paid off last December, the RFU took out a new “revolving credit” unsecured facility of £50million with RBS and has borrowed £40million this year.

“That has funded the stadium works to date during the low cashflow year with a low match profile as well as a front-end investment we have got in 2015,” Stephen Brown, the RFU chief financial officer, said. “We are looking to repay that borrowing by January 2015 and it could be much sooner depending on how ticket sales go. The RFU will be absolutely debt-free going into the World Cup.”